10 Father’s Day Gifts for Outdoorsy Dads

Father’s Day is coming. If you’re like me and putting a smile on your tough to please dad’s face still delivers the same sense of accomplishment as your first unassisted two-wheeler ride or a good report card, here are some unique gift ideas for your consideration. And since sometimes it takes a village to make a dad happy, PLEASE share your best Father’s Day gift ideas in the form of a comment and help us all make June 15 a win.

The MPOWERD LUCI LANTERN

Every spring, a product comes along that causes ooh’s, aah’s and damn-that’s-cool’s throughout our Peterborough, NH home office. Last year, it was the BioLite camp stove that burns twigs AND powers your devices. This year, it’s this lightweight, compact, inflatable, solar-powered, downright GENIUS lantern from MPOWERD. Check out the video to see all the features of this fascinating lantern that’s great for camping, backpacking and having around the house for emergency situations.

GOAL ZERO ROCK OUT 2 PORTABLE SPEAKER

Dads love gadgets and the Goal Zero Rock Out 2 Portable Speaker does double duty in the tech department. First, it’s a compact yet rugged speaker that will stand up to dad’s Homer Simpson moments. Second, the USB connection lets dad recharge the batteries from just about anywhere. Check out the video above to see other features and improvements to this popular Father’s Day gift.

SAWYER MINI WATER FILTER

If your dad is a big fan of grossing people (especially gullible children) out with shenanigans like “pull my finger,” (looking at you, Jack Darroch), he’ll love the Sawyer Mini Water Filter. As demonstrated in the video above, the Sawyer Mini Filter instantly makes dirty water drinkable through its compact straw. Imagine all the good times dad will have pushing the limits of this device by turning puddles, swimming pools, and dirty sinks into water fountains to the shock and horror of his family members and friends. Oh, the possibilities. On a more technical note, the Sawyer Mini Filter is no joke. It’s an incredibly effective, super compact tool for backpacking, camping and emergency preparedness.

FITBIT FLEX WIRELESS ACTIVITY TRACKER

If dad’s New Year’s resolution to drop a few L.B.’s has stalled out, a Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity Tracker is an excellent (and extremely popular) way to get him back on track. What’s cool about the FItbit is it tracks your activities all day and all night long so dad knows how many calories he’s burned during his workouts as well as fulfilling his other dad-ly duties like mowing the lawn, washing the car, flipping burgers and drinking beer–hey, those bottles and cans don’t open themselves, you know. The Fitbit also gives dad some interesting insight into his sleeping patterns so he can maintain a healthy lifestyle…and justify that afternoon nap.

HYDRO FLASK 64 OZ GROWLER WATER BOTTLE

No matter what activity the day brings, no one works up a thirst like Dad. In the three years we’ve been carrying Hydro Flask bottles, they’ve rocketed up the popularity charts for both our staff as well as our customers. We love how they keep cold liquids cold for 24 hours and hot liquids hot for 12 hours and we’ve proven these claims at campsites all over the country. The 64 oz growler can handle any dad-sized thirst but if a gallon is more than he needs, we have a variety of other Hydro Flask bottles to choose from.

SEATTLE SPORTS SEE-THROUGH SECURITY DRY BAG

I asked our product sports product manager for something different and interesting and without hesitation, she told me about the Seattle Sports See-Through Security Dry Bag. Not only is this backpack completely waterproof, it’s see-through design makes it easy to find the stuff dad has stored in it. It also makes it easy for TSA agents and security staff to check dad’s bags and speed him through checkpoints because as we all know, dads HATE waiting.

EMS MEN’S GRAPHIC T-SHIRT

Most dads already have a favorite t-shirt but chances are, it should have been retired from public appearances during the Bush administration–the one that ended in ’92. Why not freshen up dad’s wardrobe with an insanely comfortable 100% organic cotton t-shirt that’s sure to become his NEXT favorite. We have dozens of hip designs to choose from including the dad-pleasing original EMS ice axe logo graphic above, complete with old school type treatment on the back. Whichever design you choose, we guarantee dad will love it and so will his friends and family members.

BLACK DIAMOND STORM HEADLAMP WITH POWER TAP

Remember the time when you wanted something really bad because “all the other kids had it?” Well, to turn the tables in order to identify a popular, yet always useful gift for dad, I asked our tech/gadget product manager to tell me our top-selling headlamp of this season. Without a doubt, it’s the Black Diamond Storm Headlamp. At $49.95 it’s a great value, especially with all the features dad gets for the price–up to 160 lumens of power that he can easily control with a simple tap to the right side of the touch sensitive housing–no more fumbling for push buttons. 160 lumens is a lot of light and the 4 AAA batteries (included) delier 50 hours of burn time at the highest setting. Even if dad already has a headlamp, chances are he can always use another one in his car, shed or garage and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you made him a little more hip.

GO PRO HERO 3+ BLACK EDITION ACTION CAMERA

Whether you’re pooling your resources with your siblings or you want to win your lifelong rivalry with them, the GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition Action Camera will have dad bragging about you to anyone who will listen until next Father’s Day. It’s the lightest, most feature-rich action camera we have which is why it’s the choice of adventure seekers of all levels as well as proud fathers and grandfathers everywhere.

BLACK DIAMOND TRAIL TREKKING POLES

Whether you had a goofy dad, a strict dad, a busy dad or an overprotective dad, if you’ve made it this far through this post it’s because you want to find a special gift for the man who has always been there for you. What better way to thank the guy who always picked you up when you fell down than trekking poles that will help him stay on his feet? All kidding aside, trekking poles are a great gift for every hiker at ANY age and our customers love these Trail Trekking Poles from Black Diamond.

As I said at the beginning, sometimes it takes a village to make a dad happy. Please share your Father’s Day gift hits and misses and help your fellow sons and daughters to make this Father’s Day a successful one.